Leveler bar and reciprocable frame



Patented Sept. 9, 1952 Paul Howard Lavely, Pittsburgh, Ba., assignor to Koppers Company, Inc.,'al`corpo1 'ation of Dela- Ware Application July 20, 1948, 'Serial No. 39,608

The present invention relates in general t0 improved apparatus for levelling the tops of coal charges in horizontal coke ovens, by means of the usual reciprocation of a leveler bar, with free suspended movement thereof on the tops of the oven coal charges therein.

More particularly, the present invention is directed toA improvements in the apparatus by which the leveler bar is supported, and on which the leveler` bar is fulcrumed, during its reciprocation into and out of the oven chambers, when levelling the tops of the oven coal charges therein.

More specifically, the present invention provides, a reciprocable leveler bar and a reciprocable frame for supporting the same for the levelling of the coal-charges of horizontal coke ovens, the said leveler bar yand its frame being both re- -ciprocable independently of eachother and being also adjustably supported for Vertical movement on a carriage by which they are propellable along the pusher-side face of a battery of horizontal coke-ovens.

The leveler-bar frame is arranged for -much more limited travel than the leveler bar. The sets of rollers for the reciprocable frame are each mounted for rotation in a housing which is itself adjustably mounted at the top of a fixed supporting standard. By means, such as a hook and screw device mounted on the standard, the housings are adjustable for raising and flowering, for alignment of the leveler bar and its frame with the leveler door openings in the oven chambers.

The standards are tied together by` beams and struts to form a unitary Xed support in which both the reciprocable frame and the reciprocable leveler bar can be independently reciprocated. This unitary fixed support is mounted on the usual carriage that travels on tracks that are at ground level along the pusher side of the oven battery, for its movement from oven to oven, as needed and conventional.

The leveler bar frame is also provided with driving means for its reciprocation independently of other driving means for reciprocating the leveler bar.

The leveler-bar frame is arranged to be ,reciprocated across a passageway, such as the' usual operating bench provided at the pusher-side face of the oven battery, so as to bring the forward end of the leveler-bar frame into close position to the leveler door during levelling operations, and thereafter to retract the leveler-bar frame sufiiciently from the battery face to permit, without its interference, travel of other auxiliary machinery along said passageway or bench. The

16 claims. (omni-s0) Cml leveler-bar frame is further provided with rollers at its e'nd adjacent the battery face forsupportof the levelerbar close to those chock or leveler doors that are ,located in the upper parts of the pushersidecok'e-oven doorsat their ends of the horizontal oven chambers, thereby providing a. retractable bearing or fulcrum closefto the 'leveler doorway for support ofthe leveler barduring its levelling operations.

An object of the present invention is the provision, for a horizontal coke oven battery wherein the coal-charges of the ovens are levelled by means of the conventional leveler-bar, of means that are adapted to support said leveler bar` adjacent the leveler-doors of the battery during levelling operations and are also retractable from said position at the completion of such operations, so that said supporting means will not interfere with other auxiliary machinery that is :also required to traverse the face of said battery along the same passageway.

A further object of invention is to form the retractable supporting means of `the above said object as a roller or idler that can be moved toward or away from the `battery-face independently both of the leveler bar and `of that supporting carriage for the latter which is propellable along the face of a battery of horizontal coke ovens. i

A further object of invention is to form said retractable supporting means of the aforesaid objects as the extremity of a frame for said leveler bar, said frame and said leveler bar being adapted for reciprocation lengthwise of the oven chambers independently of each other on rollers whereby the jar and vibration of the levelling bar during levelling operations are cushioned and are not directly transferred to the structure of their supporting carriage by means of which they are propelled along the battery-face.

The invention has for further objects such other improvements and such other operative results and advantages in construction or operation as may be'found to obtain in the structure-hereinafter described or claimed.

As is well known, a horizontal coke-oven battery comprises coking chambers and intermediate heating walls that are heated by combustion off an underfiring gas. The coal carbonized in thecoking chambers is charged through `charging'holes in their tops. For known reasons, it is` standard practice to charge theovens with coal and to push the formed coke therefrom according to predetermined schedules, i. e., depending upon the chosen' schedule, for example, `every fifth Vor or more collecting mains.

' riage propellable along the battery face.

f through the coking chamber.

seventh or tenth chamber may be charged and pushedit is not common practice to charge and push seriatim adjacent horizontal coking chambers. The charging and pushing steps require several operations which must be performed in denite sequence; for example, before pushing, the coke oven doors must be removed by appropriate machinery, and ,thereafter thev coke must be pushed by still another mechanism, followed by return of the door to the end of the coking chamber. Thereafter, the employed coal is charged through said charging holes, and the oven charges are then conventionally levelled through a closured leveler opening in the pusherside coke-oven doors, so as to provide above the tops of the levelled charges an uninterrupted gas collecting space, that extends from one end of the coking chamber to the other, and to assure that any inequalities in the level of the tops of the coal charges are not sufficiently high to interfere with pushing of the coke cake from the coking chamber.

As is also well known, the aforesaid gas collecting-spaces communicably connect with ascension pipes whereby the gas produced by the coking process passes from the coking chambers to one The above described mechanical operations require the free and unrestricted movement of divers apparatus along a battery face for their performance; that is, the door handling machinery, leveler bar, pusher ram, and the door cleaning stage .and equipment must be propellable to their required position in conformity With an elected charging and pushing schedule, without the movement of one such apparatus being interfered with by another. That is, there must be provided especially lalong the pusherside battery face a passageway that can be made free for traversing movement of all auxiliary operating equipment as required.

The apparatus employed for the above described levelling of the oven-charges of horizontal coke-oven batteries has been formed as a reciprocable bar-like member that is longer than the coking chamber, and is supported on a car- It has long been the practice, and for many practical ,reasons a leveler bar is employed that is supportedY entirely outside of the coking chambers at one end thereof.` This means, that in consequence of the considerable length of the leveler barl and the high temperatures to which it is subi jected by the coke oven heating walls, the metal of the'levelerbar loses some of its rigidity and i does not always travel along on the tops ofthe voven charges in a precise horizontal planeA but,

on the contrary, will slightly deform and sag, especially adjacent its free unsupported end near the region at the end of its reciprocatory travel Any sagging or whipping action that develops during such reciprocatory travel tends to pack and increase the bulk'density of thecoal of the oven charges especially nearer the coke side of the battery; the

` resultant coke cake formed therefrom thus be- Vis the .external support for the leveler bar to the provided leveler opening-in the pusher side doors, the less will be the damage or deleterious effect Yof the sagging and whipping 0i the leveler bar during its reciprocation on top of the lcoal charges. This fact has been fully appreciated in this art as is clearly evident by refe-rence to Fig. 3 of Becker U. S. Patent 2,402,592, issued June 25, 1946 (202-26). This figure clearly shows for the leveler bar a roller support that is closely adjacent to the chock door ofthe pusher-side coke oven door. However, these rollers are supported Aon an immovable bracket that spans the passageway provided between the side face of the battery and the trackage for the carriage that supports the leveler bar. This means that the dimensions of aforesaid auxiliary apparatus that can be moved along the battery face, and especially if the employed battery has a bench adjacent the coking chamber soles for the movement of some of such apparatus, are seriously restricted and no apparatus that eX- tends upwardly higher than said bracket can be moved along said passageway past the levelerbar carriage.

According to the present invention there is provided, s0 as to obviate some of the aforesaid shortcomings of prior leveler bar apparatus, a reciprocable leveler bar that is supported adjacent the pusher-side battery face by a support,

that is preferably a roller, which is also reciprocable toward and away from the battery face v independently of movement of the leveler bar,

as will be moreclearly understood by reference to the following description and drawings.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specifica-tion and showing for purposes of exemplication, preferred form and manner in which the invention is embodied and practiced, but without limiting the claimed invention specifically to such illustrative instance or' instances:

Figure l is a view, partly in transverse vertical cross-section and partly in elevation, of a byproduct horizonta] coke oven battery and a socalled pusher machine carriage associated therewith and embodying the present invention, the pusher ram being omitted for clearness of illustration;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on the line II--II of Figure l., and showing the arrangement of the reciprocable leveler bar and the reciprocable framework therefor along with part of their supporting structure shown -in Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional View taken along the line III-Ill of Fig. l, and showing the arrangement of the reciprocable leveler bar relative to the reciprocable framework of the invention and also showing the rollers on the latter by means of which the leveler bar is supported for reciprocation during levelling operations;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional View taken alongl the line IV--IV of Fig. l, and Vshowing the connection between the reciprocable Vframe for the leveler bar and a motor for reciprocating the frame independently of the reciprocation of the leveler bar, but to a much more limited extent of reciprocation.

The same characters of reference refer to the same parts in each of the views of the drawings.

'Referring to Figure l, there is shown in a conventional manner a by-product horizontal coke oven battery 3 comprising a series of alternate horizontal coking chambers i8 and intermediate heating walls ti therefor having combustion flues, said battery being of the well known crossover oven type exemplified in U. S. Patent No. 2,100,762, of November 30, 1937, which embodies cross-over ducts or flues 9.

As conventional, the oven battery S is fired iwithfric'h gas and-preheated air, or `with 'air and vlean 4gas both preheated by means lof `cross-rel generators I3 vlying. ata levelbeneath the level foflthe'lbottoms.ofthelcoking chambers 4.and l theirinltervening heating wallsl I, `and the macsonrydbrickwork isltied` together bybuckstays Ifl :disposed vertically at theends .of theheating l `wallsalong` the ecokeside I5` and theipusherside i IZB.

Each of the coking chambers I is provided with .one .or more charging holes AIZ'I in ,the oven roof x I 'through which coal to be ,coked is `filled :into :the 'respective loven .chambers It, as conl ventionally from a lorry car (not shown) which l runs from cham-ber to chamber along tracks disposed onftop of thewoven roof I8, and eachoven chamber I0 is also provided with at least one gas roifta'ke I3 at an :end thereof in the oven l roof, from which Yan `ascension pipe I'Sur conducts :thelgas to `a Vcollecting main |a9b.

The nished coke `is discharged from 'the respeetive oven-chambers Illlby pushing the finished coke cake horizontally lout of the coke side end I of the oven chambers fromthe pusher side end I6. l

The ends of the oven chambers I are sealed .gas tight by means of removable oven doors 20, 2|. The coke side doorsl20 `are conventionally removed and .replaced by a door machine V(not shown) which runs on tracks on a bench 22 on the coke sideA I5 of the battery at which side the cokeis discharged fromthe ovens.

The pusher side doors 2| are conventionally ralso removed and replaced by a similar door machine (not show-n). from bottom to top of the mouths of the re- ,spectiveoven chambers ID, and are ,sealed gas tight around their margins.

The ovenfchambers Hl are billed with fresh .coal through: the `topcharging holes I'I, and are designed to lhave their chambers AIIJ filled up to a predetermined upper -level for the topI level for `level-led coal charges, leaving va clear gas oiitake space 24 in the region along the oven crown for flow of gas to `the gas oitake I9; thus, after re-charging an'oven vchamber Il), it is levelled ofi' at thetop `conventionally by reciprocation of a lever barinserted at one lend into the top of the oven `chamber' IIJ.

For this purpose the pusher side Adoors 2| are provided, as conventional, with a leveler doorwaf,7 25 `closed by a chock door 25. This doorway 25 is disposed -in each door 2|, near its top, but beneath Vits top sealed margin. T-he lower level of the leveler doorway 2-5 determines the upper level for the top level for levelled `coal charges in the oven chamber IU. After levelling, the crow-n space l24| is` a free passageway all along thelength of thechamber for clear passage of gas over the charge along the oven crown to the gas offtake I9, During the levelling operation the free end29 `ofthe leveler bar 28 is pushed through the pilesof .coal 23 heaped up into the charging holes, and with further reciprocation,

Vthe beam or bar12f8 spreads the coal, uniformly 4filling the valleys 30 to a substantially uniform` 'horizontal level 21.. i l

After the charges` in the `oven chambers I!) have been completely coked, the doors 29, 2|, at the two opposite ends are removed and the coke cake pushed out of the oven chambers. For this purpose Aa pusher ram (not shown) is employed which is inserted at one end of each of lthe chambers. `This ram is motor driven and pushes the coke cake along the chamber from the pusher side I6 and out vthe other end at the `These doors A2|), 2| extend .coke side |5'through a `coke guide. The :pusher ramis then Withdrawn, the doors 29,2 replaced,

l and the oven chambers: |0 are refilled with coal and `the Vcoal charges levelled.

A carriage Lor ,machine` 3| is provided for :the

\ pusher rram Aand its operating appurtenances.

Conventionally this pusher machine carriage 3| is mounted on motor driven wheels 32 to run .on .tracks 33 .at ground level 34 along the pusher sideila ofthe .battery from chamber to chamber, `in accordance with a predetermined staggered pushing schedule. i

The leveler :bar `2.8, `as shown in the drawings, is :of sufficient length to reach from one end to theother of oven chamber I0 and is also mounted `conventional way, mounted on such-pusher machine carriage 3 I, which thus serves as a common carriage Afor al1 three of such mechanisms, and their operating appurtenances.

The leveler bar 28, pusher ram, and pusher side door machine, are of course, -as .conventional, provided with separate operating Imeans and drives therefor, andthe leveler `barl28 and the pusher ram are each provided W-ith a ,supporting framework for sup-porting .the respective members on the carriage 3| for their recipnocation or .other operations, the `supports including `antifriction bearings or rollers forlthe ram and leveler bar, and the supporting frameworks are fixed tothe carriage 3J.

`As shown in Fig. 1, -a bench "35 is `provided at the pusher-side face of 4the `battery for thelconas'shown. The provided wid-thofthisbenchldetermines the proximity withwhich the carriage 3| for thepusher ram, leveler bar, and the like, can be moved alongside said face of the battery. As before mentioned .the passageway between carriage 3| and its said mechanical appurtenances must be available, for example, forffree passage of the door cleaning machinery `at any required time. Inmconsequence, it is a disadvantage to `have a` supporting member for the leveler bar permanently in Xed position lacross this passageway because` it limits the height of the door cleaning equipment Athat can be passed thereunder, and such -cleaning equipment must be rof fsu-iiicient height to make` the tops .of the doors, which extend about the levelling .equipn1-ent,V easily accessible to the operators.

According `to the present invention, the leveler bar is provided with a roller 'fulcrum that can,

l be more fullvunderstood from the followingdescription.

The said reciprocable framework 31 supports the reciprocable leveler bar 28 on the carriage 3|. This frame 31 carries the conventional upper and lower rollers 33 for the leveler bar or beam 28, which rollers 38 are rotatably mounted in bracket bearings 33 xed to the upper and lower part-s of the frame 31, and reciprocate therewith.

The leveler bar 28- is, as shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the conventional form, and comprises two spaced parallel plates or beams 43 connected together by transverse plates di spaced from each other along the beams, which plates 3| also act, when the leveler bar or beam 31 is reciprocated inside-the oven chambers Il), to spread the coal al'ong the top cf the coal charge. The leveler bar v28 is therefore reciprocable longitudinally with- (Fig. l) comprising standards i5 spaced longitudinally from each other lengthwise of the leveler bar 28 and its frame 31. These standards :t5

are tied together by longitudinal tie beams 45.

and strut members @1.

' The standards 45 are constituted of spaced vertically standing I-beamsll tied together by transverse beams 29 at their tops.

The frame 31 is supported for reciprocation in the standards 45 by means of sets of upper and lower rollers between which the frame 31 reciprocates, the upper and lower anges of the I- beam 42 riding on the fianged roller wheels fixed to shafts 5|.

The shafts 5i are carried in housed bearings 52 which are adjustably fixed in the standards 45.

The two housings 5'2 for the bearings of a set in 'the respective standards l5 are connected together at their upper ends by a cross-bracket 53.

For adjusting the leveler bar 28 and its frame 31 to the level of the leveler bar doorways 25 in the pusher side I6 coke oven doors 2| of a particular oven battery 8, the bearing housings 52 are adjustable vertically. For this purpose, the lower ends of the housings 52 for the bearings are seated on brackets 54 on the I beams 48 and the housings 52 for bearings are fastened to the I beams 48 by bolts.

Slots are provided in the I beams 133 to permit Vthe bolts and roller bearing shafts 5| to ride in the standards 5 for adjusting housings 52 vertically on the I beams 28, and shirns are provided to take up the space required to seat the housings 52 on the brackets 54, yas shown.

For ease and accuracy in making such adjustment the cross bracket 53 is provided with a pin 59, for lifting the frame composed of cross bracket 53 and housings 52, as by means of a hook 6U having a threaded stem 6|. The threaded stem 6| extends through a bushing 62 carried in a bracket 63 mounted on top of the tie beams 49, and the hook 65 is raised and lowered by means of a hand adjustable nut 64 having arms 65 for turning the nut 6d on the threads of stem El' against the fixed bushing 32.

With the structure of the present invention as aforesaid, the leveler bar 28 is reciprocable separately from the reciprocation of its frame 31,

by its own power operated means, which comprises an electric motor 53 and suitable gearing 51 for connecting it to a drum 38 upon which is wound a cable 59, that extends over sheave wheels 1Q at the forward and rear portions of the fixed supporting standards 45, the'cable 69 passing over the Wheels 1| (Fig. 2) on the lower roller bearing shafts 5|, and-being xed at its two ends to the leveler bar 28 near an outer portion thereof 12.

The leveler bar 23 and its aforesaid driving connections are so arranged that the free end 29 of the leveler bar, in its fully retracted position, is withdrawn suiiciently out across the passageway or bench 35 to provide clear access and passage between the leveler bar and the battery face, as shown in full lines in Figure 1.

The leveler-bar frame 31 is reciprocated also by its own power operated means, which comprises a motor 13, reduction gearing 14, crank arms 15, drive levers 13, drive arm 11 connected with a pin 18 supported in brackets 19 attached to the bottom of the frame beams 42.

The leveler-bar frame 31 and its aforesaid driving connections are so arranged that the frame is shifted only a relatively shortrdistance to span the passageway or bench 35. When fully retracted, its forward end, that was formerly adjacent the pusher-side face of the battery, comes to rest at a point permitting passage along the passageway 35 of its other auxiliary equipment; as shown in the drawing this point is at a region in vertical alignment with the outer edge of the pusher-side bench 35, in the same manner as the leveler bar, as shown in full lines in Figure l The leveler-bar frame 31 and its driving connections as shown in Fig. l, are arranged for shifting it about three to five feet closer to the coke oven leveler doorway 25, and it is provided with a set of rollers at its forward end for supporting the leveler bar in this advanced position, as shown at 35i in dotted lines in Figure 1.

The length of the driving connections between the motor 13 and the frame bracket 19 determines the limits of travel of the frame in both directions of its movement in reciprocation.

A plurality of conventional limit switches may be employed andactuated by the leveler bar 28 to limit the extent of its forward and rearward movements.

rIhe features of invention are employed on the carriage for the pusher ram and the pusher-side coke oven door machine, it is also employed on its own separate carriage as in coke side operation in levelling, as in Figure 1 of the aforesaid Joseph Becker Patent 2,402,592. k In operation, when a coke oven is ready to be pushed and recharged, the pusher-side carriage 3| Yis run along the tracks 33 to position it so that the pusher-side door machine can remove its door 2|, then the carriage 3| is shifted to position the pusher ram in front of the opened doorway 2|. The coke side door 20 having been removed and the coke guide and quenching car aligned, the pusher ram is advanced through the coking chamber to the coke side end l5 of a chamber 13, the ram is then withdrawn, the carriage 3| shifted to replace the door 2i. The carriage 3| then is shifted again to align the leveler bar 2B with the closed leveler doorway '25 in the resealed door 2|. Coal is new charged into the so resealed chamber l@ through the charging openings i 1, forming the piles 23 and valleys 32. Then the chock door 26 is opened;

Thereafter the reciprocable frame 31 is then.

advanced `by .its motor. drive. 1.3 to` bring. its. `for.- Ward end and .the forward rollers into the position 8d shown-in dotted lines in` Fig. I. leveler 2181 is next. reciprocated into the. coking chamber .byimeans of its. motor drivelii. The. bar 28 .is. reciprocate-ad several. times in. the` chamber III), to .make thev top level of the coalehargo. uniform; therb'ar Za Lis. then fully retracted. to.;

the` position: shown in full .lines for thelevelerbar frame', Ato bring. its head. end..29 out of` the.

path of 'other equipment that is moved between it .and the. battery face: Thereafter the motor 13 is. operated to retractthe` frame. 3.1. and bring its forward. endA also out of the. path otother4 equipment .in the` passageway 35,.. for.` instance,4

to the'` position also shown in fulllinesv in Fig. 1. Consequently, the carriagel now. is shiftable freecofother equipment in` saidpassageway or on the bench 35. The lengths oftravel of `both the -leveler bar and its frameare, of :c'ourse,.adinstable to suit the demands of other equipment that. may beemployed in. the` passageway orion the benchA `35.1`

In levelling. operations, when the bar 2B' is reciprocated through the doorway some coal is spilled through the leveler doorway; Conventionally, a chute anda hopper,` shown in dotte'dlines in Fig. 1,. are supplied to catch and collect `the spillage.

As shown, the chute isain the present instance, hinged pto the carriage l so Athatthe hinge is out of the passageway 3.5'. The upper end-of thec'hute is connected b-ya pivot and bracket. 82to1thexforward end of the frame3r1. so that. it moves inwardly andoutwardly .in the passagei way with reciprocation ofthe frame 31...

The leveler-bar frame 3l' `thus alternately.v

moves the top of the, coal spillage chute forwardly into position beneath the. open.` leveler doorway `25', and backwardly out of the way of equipment in the passageway 35. i Conventional leveler bar Scrapers and" leveler vdoorway sealing means are, or may be, employed on the head `end of the frame, but forc'onvenience of clarity their showing has been also foregone here.

Theinvention as hereinabove set Vforth isi embodied in particular form and manner, but

may be variously embodied within.` the scope of the claims hereinafter made.

I "claim: i

1. The combination `with a reciprocablecantilever leveler bar for horizontal by-product coke ovens arranged for reciprocation as a cantilever ina frame, a frame for continuously supporting the leveler bar as a cantilever at all times duringxits reciprocation, a carriage. for transporting the leveler bar in itsl frame from chamber to chamber alongsidea horizontal coke oven battery, anda supporting structure on said carriage for supporting the leveler bar in its `frame `in position on said carriage for levelling a cok-` Then the.

leveler: bar andsaid frame both. beingso arranged. o-n said carriage `.that inrtheir retracted; position their forward ends may bey heid. withdrawn'` sufficiently back` from the` side fiacepf any oven batterypfor passage therebetween: of.`

. other uauxiliary equipment along the side facefof the battery 2. Apparatus. `as i claimed.` in .claim l, and

whichy the. carriage comprises a .pusher machine carriage `adapted 4for transporting the leveler bar along Awith. a pusher .ram and door machine..

from chamber-.to .chamber of` athorizontal. coke` oven. battery.

3. The combinatiori` of. a. reciprocablecardiilever leveler barfor. horizontal bly-productcoke ovens arranged for reciprocation like `a cantilever` into and out of l'eveler b-ar :doors of coking cham-` bers of .a battery, La carriage fortransporting the leveleri bar` .alongside the battery from.` chamber to chamber, and mounting meansffor mount-- ingthe `cantilever llevelernbarion #said carriage: in position for levelling like, a canti-lever in the oven chambers, of a cantilever supporting frame for. continuously supporting. the leveler bar `for and' 'during reciprocation4 .as a` cantilever.` onA the.`

mounting. means `and iprovided with .rollers for the leveler bar, at'4 least a. part of saidirame comprising an. advancable cantilever .iulorum portion.. provided. with an. advancable roller movable. outwardly ina horizontalplane ironithe` mounting meansLand `the carriage,` closer to' the sideof the oven. battery than. the` carriageand the. mounting meansbut not far enoughs forv said rollers for the: leveler bar tov contact the contents of; theoven. chambersoizsaid battery,

for; supporting; the leveler bar" in. itslxadvanced cantilever positions` as its cantilever 'fu-lemmi close .to .therespectiveoven chambers; said..` ad.- vancable levelen-bar ramevportion, and.- its'.

`lemeler-,bar rollers.. and said leveler bar,ybengj retractable; from their advanced position, .to withdraw themsufficiently outf from.` the. oven battery `side as to provide for access and clear` passage'zthierebetween from oneside to the oth."-` er of the'carri'age..

4. Apparatus ascl'aimed in claim` tand which" includes acoal spillage chute, saidchutekbei'ng carried `by said. carriage and connected to' the advanoabl'e portionV of; the leveler-bar frame-.for I movement thereby, into position beneatha les/"-` eier-bar` doorway` for receiving spilled coal, and ont of saidposition tocl'ear the passagewaybetween the same and the `side face ofthe battery,

as the -advancable fulcrum portion ofthelev-w eier-bar frame moves into` and `out ofspanning relationship with said passageway.

5..'Ihe `combination with a reciprocab'le can-- tilever levelerbar arranged forreciprocation on` r rollers as a cantilever in a frame provided. with rollers for continuously supporting the. leveler barin its reciprocation into and out ofcoking chambers of .a horizontal, by-productcoke oven battery, a carriage for transporting the leveler bar in its frame fromoven` chamber to oven chamben; and a fixed supporting structure. mountedon the carriage for supporting the leveler-bar frame with its levelerbar therein, of`

a reciprocabl'e `cantilever supporting frame for thecanti-lever leveler bar and."reciprocabl'e4 independently of movement of the leveler bar, rollers on said frame for continuouslysupporting said leveler` bar for reciprocation in the reciprocable frame, rollers mounted on said fixed supporting structure for supporting the leveler-bar frame in its reciprocation on said fixed supporting structure, and driving means for reciprocating the leveler bar and its reciprocable frame, said frame being adapted to be reciprocated in a horizontal plane from said carriage toward the outside wall of said battery but not far enough for said rollers ori-said frame to contact the contents of the oven chambers, said leveler bar being adapted to be reciprocated into said chamber to level the same.

6; Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, and in which said driving means for the leveler bar and its reciprocable frame is constituted of two sepa-rate and distinct mechanisms each of which is operable independently of the other. l

7. `Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, and in which an adjustable bearing-frame is provided on the fixed supporting structure for adjusting the support for the rollers for the frame, and in which adjustable means are; provided on the iixed supporting structure for adjusting the elevation of the adjustable bearing-frame on the xed supporting structure.

8. In combination: a reciprocable leveler bar for horizontal by-product coke ovens; a carriage 'for transporting said leveler bar from oven to oven and propellable therealong in spaced relation to the side face of a battery of said coke ovens, to leave therebetween an accessible passageway for passagevtherealong of operating personnel and auxiliary equipment; said leveler bar being reciprocably mounted on the carriage for projection as a cantilever, with movement of the head end of the leveler bar outwardly from the plane of the carriage, over the accessible passageway, andinto the ovens in levelling; and a retractable advanced support for continuously supportingthe leveler bar during leveling operations also transportable by the carriage and extensible therefrom in a horizontal plane to but not beyond, and retractable to the carriage from, the side face of the battery; whereby the advanced support for the leveler bar may also be retractedfout of the space of said accessible passageway after completion of levelling operations, for

clearance of auxiliary equipment in said passageway, while still providing an advanced stationary cantilever iulcrum support for the leveler bar during actual leveling in the region of the space of the accessible passageway close to the ovens.

9. In combination: a reciprocable leveler bar for horizontal by-product coke ovens; a carriage for transporting said leveler bar from oven to oven and propellable therealong in spaced relation to the side face of a battery of said coke ovens leaving therebetween a clear interspace for passage therealong of operating personnel and auxiliary equipment, said leveler bar being mounted for reciprocation on said carriage vwith movement as a cantilever into and out of said interspace and the ovens; and a retractable fulcrum support for continuously supporting the leveler bar during leveling operation also transportable by said carriage and extensible in a horizontal plane from the carriage to but not beyond, and retractable to the carriage from, the battery'side face, so that said retractable fulcrum support is, as well as the end of the leveler bar, removable from said interspace after completion of levelling operations, for clearance of auxiliary equipment along the sideA face of the battery in the region of said interspace at the level of the leveler bar and its retractable fulcrum.

10. The reciprocable combination of a 'leveling 'bar for lay-product coke ovens, the

maximum cross-sectional area of the leveling end of the leveling portion of which is not substantially larger than the largest cross-sectional area of the remainder thereof, a horizontally extensible and retractable fulcrum support for continuously and reciprocably supporting said leveler bar during all phases of leveling Operations, a carriage spaced from the face of a battery of said coke ovens for clearance of auxiliary equipment alongside said battery face and propellable therealong, said carriage supporting said fulcrum support for movement of the same and said leveler bar therewith along said battery face and for reciprocable horizontal extension and retraction of the same in relation to said carriage and independently of the reciprocation of said leveler bar along a path transverse Ato said battery face, said path'falling in a horizontal plane,` the course and length of which path is limited to the interspatial distance between said carriage and said battery face, whereby said fulcrum support may be horizontally extended` from the carriage along said interspace to said battery face during leveling operations and may be retracted from said interspace to the carriage after completion of leveling operations for clearance of auxiliary equipment along said battery face in the region of said interspace at the level of the leveler bar and its reciprocable fulcruml 1l. In combination, a longitudinally reciprocabley leveler bar for horizontal, by-product coke ovens, the maximum cross-sectional area of the levelingend of the leveling portion of which is not substantially larger than the largest cross sectional area of the remainder thereof, said leveler bar being mounted on a propellable carriage spaced from the face of a battery of coke ovens for clearance of auxiliary equipment alongside the face of the battery and a reciprocable frame for said leveler bar that is supported on said carriage by roller means for its longitudinal reciprocation in relation to said carriage along a horizontal plane, said frame being also provided with other rollers for continually supporting said leveler bar for reciprocation in and in relation to said frame, the course and path of reciprocable movement of said frame being limited to the interspatial distance between said carriage and said battery face, said leveler bar and its supporting frame being reciprocable independently of each other.

l2. The combination with a reciprocable leveler bar forhorizontal by-product ovens and a mounting means therefor, oiE a reciprocable frame arranged for continuously and reciprocably supporting said reciprocable leveler bar in cantilever action, means on said mounting meansior reciprocably supporting the frame for longitudinal reciprocation along a horizontal plane from said carriage to the face of said ovens but not into the coking chamber of said ovens sufficiently far to contact the contents of said chambers, and

from the face of said ovens back to said carriage,`

and power operated means for separately reciprocating the frame and the leveler bar.

13. The combination with a longitudinally reciprocable cantilever leveler bar for leveling horizontal; by-product coke ovens arranged for reciprocation as a cantilever in a frame, a carriage for transporting the leveler bar and its frame from chamber tofchamber alongside a face of a horizontal, by-product coke oven battery and a supporting structure on said carriage for supporting the leveler barv and its frame in position on said carriage for leveling coking chambers, of a fulcrum on said frame for continuously and reciprocably supporting said leveler bar, said fulcrum comprising supporting bearing means mounted on said frame for movement therewith relative to said SuDDOlting structure and said carriage, independently ofthe movement of said leveler bar, along a horizontal plane, as the lev eler bar fulcrum, across a passageway between said carriage and said battery face, toward but not into and away from a coking chamber, for spanning the passageway with the supporting bearing means as a continuous cantilever iulcrum for the leveler bar closer to the oven chamber than the carriage but not inside said oven chamber and withdrawal of the cantilever iulcrum suiiiciently out of the passageway between the carriage and said battery face so as to provide clearance for the equipment therebetween.

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13, and in which the carriage comprises a pusher machine carriage adapted for transporting the leveler bar along with a pusher ram and door machine, from chamber to chamber of a horizontal coke oven battery.

15. In a by-product, horizontal coke oven having a leveler bar door located at a top portion of the pusher side thereof, the combination of a reciprocable leveling bar adapted to reciprocate longitudinally through said leveler bar door, the cross-sectional area of said leveler bar except for the leveling end of the leveling portion of the same being substantially the same as the crosssectional area of said door, said cross-sectional area of the leveling end of the leveling portion of the same being smaller than the cross-sectional area of said door, a horizontally extensible and retractable fulcrum support for continuously and reciprocably supporting said leveler bar during all phases of leveling operations, the cross-sectional area of said support being along its entire length larger than the cross-sectional area of said door, a carriage spaced from the pusher face of a battery of said coke ovens for clearance of auxiliary equipment alongside said battery face and propellable therealong, said carriage supporting said fulcrum support for movement of the same and said leveler bar therewith along said battery face and for reciprocable horizontal extension and retraction of the same in relation to said carriage along a path transverse to said battery face and falling in a horizontal plane, the course and length of which path are limited to the interspatial distance between said carriage and said battery face, whereby said fulcrum support maybe horizontally extended from the carriage along said interspace to said battery face to act as a horizontally extended fulcrum for said leveler bar during leveling operations and may be retracted from said interspace to the carriage after completion of leveling operations for clearance of auxiliary equipment along said battery face in the region of said interspace at the level cf the leveler bar and its reciprocable iulcrum.

16. In a battery ci horizontal, by-procluct coke ovens the coking chambers of which have a leveler bar door leading into an upper portion thereof, a recprocable cantilever leveler bar the cross-sectional area of which except for the leveling end of the leveling portion of the same is substantially the same as the cross-sectional area of said leveler bar door, said cross-sectional area of the leveling end of the leveling portion of the same being smaller than the cross-sectional area of said door, said leveler bar being arranged for reciprocation like a cantilever into and out of said leveler bar doors, a carriage for transporting the leveler bar alongside the battery from chamber to chamber, and mounting means for mounting the cantilever leveler bar on said carriage in position for leveling like a cantilever in the oven chambers. said mounting means comprising a cantilever supporting frame for continuously supporting the leveler bar for and during reciprocation as a cantilever on the mounting means. said frame being provided with rollers for the leveler bar, at least a part of said frame comprising an independently advancable cantilever fulcrum portion provided with a roller, said fulcrum portion being independently movable with said frame in a horizontal plane from the remainder of the mounting means and the carriage, closer to the side of the oven battery than the carriage and the remainder of said mounting means but not into said coke oven chambers, for supporting the leveler bar in its advanced cantilever position as its cantilever fulcrum close to but outside of the respective oven chambers, said advancable leveler bar frame portion, its leveler bar rollers, and said leveler bar being retractable from their advanced positionto withdraw them sufficiently out from the oven battery side as to provide for access and clear passage therebetween and one side of the carriage.

PAUL HOWARD LAVELY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 723,479 Moore Mar. 24, 1903 952,558 Brown Mar. 22, 1910 2,119,425 Douglas et al May 31, 1938 2,224,392 Imes Dec. 10, 1940 2,263,316 Taylor Dec. 3D, 1941 2,290,568 McIntosh July 21, 1942 

